How to Create an Entry When you Don’t Actually Have One

Decor

There are so many things I love about our house, but it’s not without its design challenges. A significant lack of built-in storage. Narrow hallways. Very few contiguous walls making furniture placement a total headache. But one issue drives me particularly crazy. We don’t have a proper entry! Our front door opens directly onto our stairwell and a narrow hall – making a highly functional entryway virtually impossible to create (you can see my front hall here).

With the busy holiday season upon us, I knew I needed to solve this problem pronto. With an active family and a preschooler underfoot, our hallway could no longer serve as the “stuff dumping ground.” I’m tired of tripping over everything! So I partnered with Tuesday Morning to come up with a solution that was easy, quick and most importantly used pieces that were incredibly affordable (so important this time of year!).

Rather than cram an already narrow hall full of tiny furniture, I decided to create a “faux entry” in our front bay window. The look is light, airy and elevated, yet still offers all the functionality I desperately need.

My design started with the white cane chair I found at Tuesday Morning. I love using chairs more like tables. A stack of books offers a nice surface for additional objects – perhaps a table lamp, a basket, or in this case, a stunning brass bowl to catch house keys and other random odds and ends. I added a string of vintage glass beads found on a recent trip to LA for a little color.

To create more height, I then added in a hammered metal plant stand, also picked up at Tuesday Morning. I love the mix of materials and textures. The plant stand will offer me so many styling options as the seasons change. I love the look of tall dramatic branches, but as we move into winter I might swap in a potted plant of some kind (you can see some of my favorite houseplants right here). I’m thinking something big and leafy!

I paired my Tuesday Morning scores with a mix of other items I already had on hand, including a custom coffee table, a antique stool, and my favorite vintage candelabra. These objects make me smile every day.

I found a few more great accessories at Tuesday Morning, including a classic white porcelain bowl that will be great for holding the day’s mail. A fun egg timer will hopefully make getting a toddler out there door a little more fun. Certainly seems like a better option than the typical “you have until the count of 3!”

I love how this new set up has given a spot for the day’s odds and ends to land – rather than on the floor or my dining room table. But none of the pieces I used are too big or too permanent. I can switch things up as needed – or as the mood strikes and you know it strikes around here A LOT. I know I’ll be popping into Tuesday Morning to see what new treasure I can find on the regular. Click here to find the Tuesday Morning location closest to you.

Now I feel more organized and pulled together as December hits. Exactly what I needed as the busiest time of year descends! What do you think? Are you into this entry idea? I’d love to here how you solved similar challenges in your house.

For solutions to your design dilemmas, CLICK HERE.

Sources: chair Tuesday Morning / plant stand Tuesday Morning / favorite decor books This is Home: The Art of Simple Living, The Alchemy of Things, Thomas Pheasant / brass bowl Spartan Shop / custom coffee table Lauren Nelson Design / design book Dries Van Noten / vintage candelabra / porcelain bowl Tuesday Morning / egg timer Tuesday morning / vintage stool Elsie Green / beni ourain rug The Citizenry

original photography for apartment 34 by bess friday

This post is a paid partnership with Tuesday Morning. Thanks for supporting collaborations we’re excited about and posts that have kept apartment 34’s doors open.

An Easy Way to Upgrade Your Space with Framed Art

Decor

Does anyone else out there hem and haw over decorating decisions for months on end only to suddenly feel like everything must be finished and perfect in time for the holiday season?? Oh phew – you too? Well, I’m glad to know I’m not in this alone.

I’ve been frantically looking at my barren master bedroom, my forever work in progress guest room, my still unfinished master bath with the sudden pang that everything in #thisoldvictoriansf must be completed – now!

Thankfully I’ve learned from my past mistakes, so no, I’m not taking on a massive project just before the holidays hit. This year, I decided to keep it simple. Rather than stress myself to the core, I chose to add the perfect finishing touch to our dining room with Framed & Matted instead.

The dining room has gone through many an iteration (like this one and this one and this one) as I’ve slowly worked to create my dream space, but I’ve honed in on my (near!) final look. Adding art to this room is certainly a great way to make it feel more “done.” But framing art can be a rather intimidating prospect.

But let’s start with the art itself. I recently stumbled upon the awesome work of Skye Schuchman. While primarily a digital artist, Skye also creates these beautiful line & dot block prints on stunning thick raw-edged french paper. They speak to my minimalism-loving soul.

To showcase the scale of our house, I selected two oversized pieces of Skye’s work – each measuring 30 inches. Framing something of this size could be prohibitively expensive and challenging. Thankfully, Framed & Matted has simplified the framing process immensely.

Started by a fellow Bay Area mom with an education in art history and a background of working in art galleries, it’s nice to know that Framed & Matted was created by someone with real experience in the art world. It’s especially helpful because Framed & Matted is quick to dispense advice for the framing-phobes out there such as myself! I never quite know what type of mat to pick or how to determine the correct sizing.

And the best part? I didn’t have to schlep anywhere. I didn’t have to worry about shipping my art in for framing and having to wait on its return.. I simply made my selections and in three days Framed & Matted shipped my frames to me.

I decided to float frame Skye’s work – aka not cover the paper’s edges with mats – to keep that gorgeous raw paper exposed. I also selected a double mat. A thin black mat sits below a larger white one to further highlight the work’s grid pattern. Laying it all out, taping it down and putting the layers back together was quick and simple.

The two pieces now mirror one another on either side of the dining room (did you catch our florals on the dining room mantel yesterday??). I’m currently letting them marinate in there before we commit to hanging them. With 100 year old original plaster walls you only get to put in a nail in once. But I’m thrilled with how they turned out. I love their scale. I love their simplicity. Now the room feels like it’s all coming together – rather than just a space with a bunch of furniture in it.

So as you’re putting the finishing touches on your house, I would definitely recommend adding some framed art to finish off a space. A Framed & Matted gift card would also make a great gift for an art-lover in your life!

And of course I had to give you, dear readers, a little bonus. Use the code APT34 at check out and receive $15 off any Framed & Matted purchase through December 14. But make note – if you want frames you need to order them by December 9 to ensure holiday arrival.

photography for apartment 34 by spotted sf

This post is a paid partnership with framed & matted. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thanks supporting collaborations I’m excited about and that have kept Apt34’s doors open.

Why My Eyeglasses are My New Favorite Fall Accessory

Fashion

So I have a little secret. I’ve been carrying it around with me for more than 20 years now. But it’s time I think I finally come clean with you. I have terrible vision. Not just a little bad. Not kinda bad. Like I can’t see six inches in front of my face bad. But after the trauma of getting eyeglasses as a child in the 80’s – they weren’t cute my friends – I swore I’d never wear glasses again. And here I am, decades later still hiding my terrible eyesight with contacts.

But in the intervening years, it turns out eyeglasses have gotten way cuter, way less expensive and much less of a pain to get. Case in point, Zenni. Since discovering this amazing site, you can consider me a glasses convert!

Cute right?! I’ve always been convinced I just can’t look good in glasses, but Zenni has the largest collection of affordable glasses online. And their website has the coolest technology – you can upload a picture of yourself and actually preview what a pair of glasses will look like on your own face! So genius. After taking Zenni’s quiz to determine the ideal frames for my face shape, I flipped through a million styles, from ultra modern to uber hipster before settling on these cute round tortoiseshell frames in a chestnut hue. And I love them! I consider it an eyeglasses miracle.

Ordering my glasses through Zenni was so super easy too. It’s key that any glasses I wear fit and are well made cuz I really really need them to see. To order from Zenni, I simply inputed the prescription numbers my eye doctor emailed me, selected my picture perfect frames, and then I got to add a variety of the bells and whistles Zenni offers – every pair of their glasses come with a UV protection and an anti-scratch coating, but I nearly decided to get lenses that convert into sunglasses! Maybe on the next pair. The frames arrived at my door with their own case and cleaning cloth and I’m really impressed with the fit. These frames are super light and super comfortable. Nothing reminiscent of my childhood glasses nightmare.

What do you think? So good right?? I’m so feeling this new glasses look that I decided I needed to do a little shopping for a fresh fall outfit to highlight them.

Thankfully, just down the block from my favorite co-working space, the Assembly, (you caught my tour of it right??) sits one of another San Francisco gem – the concept boutique called Le Point. They carry super unique pieces, hard to find brands and local Bay Area designers. Plus the store is just real purdy. Added bonus.

While I usually associate wearing glasses with hiding at home in my pjs, there’s something about these frames that make me want to dress a little smarter. A chic sweater. Maybe a midi-dress. Or a really really good coat. Ready to do some serious business.

I was loving how the warm caramel of the sweater played up my tortoiseshell frames and the balloon sleeve offered an interesting detail. I think I’d pair them with my favorite high waisted black culottes and a patent leather slide.

I had so much fun day-dreaming about new looks in which to strut my new glasses-wearing style. Are you thinking I should add that yummy brown sweater to my options? Zenni’s eyewear selection if so affordable and they offer so many varying styles, I’m actually considering picking up another pair or two to create a whole slew of new fall looks! Do I hear a second?

For more fall style inspiration, CLICK HERE.

original photography for apartment 34 by andrea posadas

This post is a paid collaboration with Zenni. All thoughts and opinions expressed are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting collaborations that we’re excited about and that keep Apt34’s doors open.

One of My Favorite Shopping Secrets

Decor

If you’ve followed Apt34 for awhile, you might have noticed that I’ve slow played the completion of our house. A lot. While your typical blogger is usually in a rush to give you all the before and after shots we can, I’ve taken a different approach with this home. That is because I have been committed to finding unique, interesting and well designed pieces for each and every nook and cranny. This is my forever house people! This is no longer the dress rehearsal. This time things need to be make it for the long haul.

I am constantly searching high and low; scouring local boutiques, estate sales, and many an online resource, but one of my tried and true treasure troves for both something special and a good deal might surprise you – I’ve purchased many a piece for my home on eBay! This includes everything from current desk chair in my home office to a gorgeous Kaare Klint safari chair for my living room, to pretties for my kitchen. I just scooped up a set of Heath Ceramics plates. In this day and age it is the small things that bring you joy.

A few bonuses about eBay shopping. Yes, you can score cool vintage finds – I love looking for old portraits, kitchen accessories and those iconic mid-century pieces, but there are so many brand new items for sale as well. One of my favorite best kept secrets is the eBay DWR Outlet store. I stalk it for good deals on timeless designs constantly. This Knoll bar cart is currently taunting me, begging me to bring it home. The best part is you can often buy things right away – no bidding required and thousands of items ship free.

It can be really hard to commit to pieces for your home. It is easy to start small. A piece of art. Maybe a vintage set of glassware. But then you just might find that piece that you’ve long coveted (my current hunt is for the perfect antique mirror for over our dining room fireplace) at a great price. That’s the beauty of eBay – you might find just what you were looking for – or discover something you didn’t even know your home needed.

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3293199″]

this post is a paid collaboration with eBay. Thanks for supporting collaborations we’re excited about and that have kept apartment 34’s doors open.

My New Design Obsession at CB2

Decor

I have been a fan of goop, Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand, from it’s earliest iteration – a simple email that landed in your inbox full of her chicest advice about where to shop, what restaurant to try, or her favorite new product. Fast forward 10 years and goop is now a juggernaut – it still offers amazing advice, but now you can find inspiring ideas about every area of life you can think of – fashion, beauty, wellness, travel, fitness, cooking, parenting, relationships. So it only makes sense that they finally dive into design. The new goop x CB2 furniture collection is pretty picture perfect!

Someone once described Apt34 as approached elegance and I think that concept applies to this collection perfectly. This collections features a mid-century European sensibility that I’m loving. And not just because that style is a primary inspiration for our house. The curved sofa trend is in full effect and I’m 100% in support of that decision. A dining, coffee and side table feature similar curves and unique legs. They remind me of vintage pieces that I regularly covet. There’s also a Gio Ponti inspired mirror, a gorgeous vintage-esque wall sconce and a limited edition shearling covered chair – and I’m obsessed. It’s hard to pick a favorite piece but I’ve plucked a few that are on the top of my wish list below.

SHOP THIS STORY

bubbles brass pendant

And I’m so excited to share that I’m partnering with CB2 to celebrate the collection’s launch THIS SUNDAY, September 16. If you’re in the Bay Area, I hope you can join us at the Berkeley CB2 from 9:30am – 11:00am for Wellness Comes Home – a special event inspired by the goop collection.

You are invited to indulge in closed-door, self-care event teaching you how to incorporate health + wellness into your home space. With guided meditations, DIY sage bundles and a little styling tutorial by yours truly, you will def get you “goop” on.

this post is in collaboration with cb2. thanks for supporting collaborations I’m excited about and that keep apartment 34’s doors open.

The Secret to a Seriously Good Deep Clean

Bathrooms

The alternative title to this post could also be “an embarrassing sneak peek into my filthy master bathroom.” While I regularly espouse an ideal way to move through life, I’m the first to admit that I often fall short of practicing what I preach. Because #reality. Case in point, my master bath. After years crammed into tiny loft spaces with even tinier bathrooms, I thought I’d stepped into heaven when I finally created my dream master bathroom.

But sadly, I let the expanse of space get the best of me. Slowly but surely my dream oasis transformed into a hotbed of clutter, grit, and grime. The problem with drawers? You can hide all your problems in them! However, I’ve got the spring cleaning fever and so last week I decided to get down and dirty, dig out all the clutter, fully deep clean my vanity and return my master bath to its dream state – as nature and my design originally intended. I was so committed to this project that I even decided to make a video documenting the entire thing! Scroll down to the bottom of this post to check it out.

For those who do prefer to read, I’m also recapping my process below. I hope it inspires you to deep clean the trouble spots in your house.

Here’s the Before of my vanity. #Nojudgements

And now the after. Ahhhhh.

How do you think I did with my spring clean??

I took three very simple steps to tackle my mess and I wanted to share them with you today because this makeover is proof positive that cleaning a seemingly overwhelming mess is not only possible but oddly satisfying.

STEP ONE: The Purge. I went through each vanity drawer and ditched anything that was old, unused or no longer wanted. Turns out I’m a bit of a hoarder! I was also ruthless about what I kept. That face mask sample I got that some Sunday night I’ll finally try? Out. Random deep conditioner for my hair that I’ve used once? Gone. The multivitamin I swore I’d start taking that’s probably three years old? Ta-ta. If I wasn’t using it on the daily or hadn’t touched it at least once in the last three months – it had to go. I won’t sugar coat it. Sorting through all my stuff did take a couple of hours, but for those of you who don’t hold onto seven year’s worth of makeup (no joke), you should be able to get through the purge stage much quicker.

STEP TWO: Deep Clean. With the vanity completely empty, I got down to the task of deep cleaning. Thankfully Clorox® made it super easy with their Disinfecting Wipes. I was able to deep clean each corner and crevice, not only of my drawers but also of things like my toothbrush holder, trays and drawer organizers easily removing the unwanted germs and grime that may have been lurking there with one swipe. A thorough wipe down of the vanity’s exterior with Clorox® Scentiva Multi-Purpose Cleaner meant my counters, sink, faucet and even drawer hardware got the deep clean they desperately needed. Scentiva Multi-Purpose Cleaner has a custom-blended scent so my vanity was not only disinfected but also smelled of lavender. And this step took less than 15 minutes!

STEP THREE: Organize & Prioritize. This process starts with the removing of the things. Then there is the putting back of the things. Hopefully, if you’ve successfully purged, the number of things will be a lot less. I also highly recommend investing in drawer organizers. I more than quadrupled my number of bins and trays to keep makeup, skincare, hair stuff and all those other bathroom odds and ends corralled.

Then I grouped things strategically. Everything I touch each morning and evening either went into a bin in my top drawer or into a tray on my countertop (the place of pride for the pretty bath products – not where I put my stretch mark cream!). I finally organized my makeup so all my brushes were in one easy-to-access cup. My favorite products were all grouped together for quick access. And yes, I did keep a hand cream, face cream and facial mask (or three or four) but I made sure they each had a place – so I always know exactly what I have. If your bathroom is too crammed with products, you’re never going to actually use any of them. Now I know I’ve got a good moisturizing mask, a deep cleanser and an exfoliant that I can mix into my nightly routine every week.

So there you have it! I was able to make (relatively) quick work of getting my vanity back to its dream state and I’m committed to making sure it doesn’t slide back into that gross situation again. My Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes have their own spot in my vanity so I can whip them out and make sure those drawers stay clean on the regular.

Still not convinced you can do this too? Check out the video we made that breaks down how to tackle your spring deep clean (and gives you more of a tour of my bathroom!).

The Secret to a Seriously Good Deep Clean from Erin Hiemstra on Vimeo.

This post is in partnership with Clorox®. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting posts that have kept Apartment 34’s doors open.

original photography & video production for Apt34 by Andrea Posadas Creative

Home Tour: A Bold Statement in the Sunset Bungalow

Decor

Hi friends, happy Monday! Last week you got a little preview of our Sunset Bungalow reveal, so today I wanted to dive into the details of the home’s color transformation. I can’t wait to hear what you think.

As a reminder, this was our original color palette moodboard. Color is personal to everyone and selecting the right color can greatly impact the mood of a space. I partnered with BEHR to paint Chloe’s San Francisco Bungalow with the BEHR 2018 Color Trends to change the feeling of her home and create a northern California-inspired vibe. I’m a big fan of the BEHR 2018 Color Trends palette and would recommend this collection of unique, new, trend-forward hues to any DIYer looking for color inspiration.

Through a cool mix of color using the BEHR 2018 Color Trends palette, we were able to transform Chloe’s house from dated and dull into a fresh, bright and modern feel, applicable to how people live today. Below are a couple of before shots to give you a better idea of where we started!

The 1940’s 2-bedroom bungalow is in San Francisco’s iconic Outer Sunset neighborhood, just blocks from the Pacific Ocean. We took our primary color palette inspiration from the home’s beach-side location. We decided to use blue-gray hues in combination with natural wood tones to pay homage to the colors of the sand and sea. But we also added a few unexpected pops of bold color with a deep saturated green reminiscent of the cypress trees that dot the coastline as well as a soft green that reminds us of the wild grasses that cover the sand dunes.

It can often be very foggy in the Outer Sunset so everything else in her home sits against a white backdrop – I wanted to make sure Chloe’s home always felt bright – even when the sun is nowhere to be seen.

Chloe’s office really shows how you can use deep saturated color in your home. We created an accent wall using BEHR’s 2018 Color Trends Equilibrium T18-20 to ground Chloe’s work area. It’s a rich, warm green that offers deep drama but is still fresh. I’m obsessed.

As a freelance social marketer, Chloe works from home, so I really wanted to differentiate her office space from the rest of the house. The dark wall serves as an anchor for the dark shelving unit and desk that we added to the space. The hue also helps Chloe’s display of personal items really pop.

The multi-tiered open shelving unit was the perfect place to house Chloe’s collection of vintage pieces as well as display books by her favorite female authors including her collection of design books written by friends and the works of Virginia Woolf. The bookshelf and desk are accented with warm wood elements to echo the floors and add an organic feel. Succulents potted in pieces from Chloe’s ceramic collection add life.

While they share a wall, Chloe’s bedroom couldn’t be a bigger contrast to her office. I wanted to make Chloe’s master a tranquil oasis. The BEHR 2018 Color Trend paint color was a great place to start. Inspired by the ocean, we decided to paint a two-toned wall in the soft light blue-gray – it felt like the sea on a still overcast day. And the BEHR paint color is literally called Quiet Time. Also of note: painting a wall part way up is a little trick if you have a slightly lower ceiling. It helps give the appearance of height.

The bedroom features more natural wood elements including a beautiful custom oak bed made by Bay Area woodworker Ben Winslow. Clean side tables in ash accented in powder coated steel and simple ceramic bedside lamps add to the organic vibe. Linen bedding and a custom cashmere throw add soft organic texture. To further highlight the two-toned feature wall, we had Oakland-based artist Meghan Shimek create a custom weaving that inverted the white and gray. I love how the movement of her piece evokes ocean waves.

In contrast to the rest of the house, we decided to amp up, rather than tone down, the retro side of Chloe’s bathroom. Her tub features an arched ceiling as well as the original pink and white tile surround, so I thought why not highlight it! While we initially debated what BEHR paint color to use, the BEHR 2018 Color Trends hue Positively Pink was a perfect fit. A few plants in ceramic vases along with a good bath bench add texture and more interest. And now Chloe has a fun respite from her day.

We also decided to play with color in Chloe’s main living space. The art deco fireplace in her living room is one of the home’s original details. The fireplace is no longer functioning so it offered the opportunity to do something purely decorative. Chloe grew up on the island of Kauai and really loves lush greenery so we decided to turn the fireplace into a pseudo-living wall. I pulled in the yummy deep green we used in the office to create a major focal point in this room.

We then layered plants atop that gorgeous green backdrop. Large, small, tropical, desert, we mixed all styles, sizes and looks from Leon and George. For planters, we used a mix of ceramics, metal and even a woven basket to add in a mix of tones and textures. Succulents and air plants dot the mantel and Chloe can add even more life with hanging or wall mounted plants over time if she chooses! I also love that by pulling BEHR’s 2018 Color Trend Equilibrium T18-20 into the living room, we brought further continuity to the house.

We also decided this room needed an oversized piece of art to anchor Chloe’s couch. A galley wall would have felt too busy with all the action already happening around the fireplace.

Rather than simply find something online, we instead turned to Bay Area artist Nicole Mueller who painted a stunning original piece – using BEHR’s 2018 Color Trend palette! We’re going to be bringing you a complete studio tour with Nicole, but I had to share a little sneak peek of her and her work. Her techniques are so cool. You should definitely give her a follow on Instagram.

Chloe also has a small studio space in her basement that she could use as an Airbnb rental (or as a crash pad for friends!). I wanted to create a really relaxed, beach house vibe for this space. Behr recently introduced its first-ever Color of the Year, In The Moment, a cool and tranquil coalescence of gray-green. While we fell in love with this color, we chose to go with a Wabi Sabi for this room, an easy-going, versatile green, also from Behr’s 2018 Color Trends palette.” Wabi Sabi was the perfect chill color for this room.

The Wabi-Sabi color pulls in the greens of the sea grass found in sand dunes in Chloe’s neighborhood. The fresh, comfortable shade evokes a sense of sanctuary and relaxation amid our busy, always-on lives.

Since the studio is rather small, I turned to multi-functional furniture to optimize space. We found a cool piece the doubles as both an upholstered bench and folds out into a bed. I consider it a modern-day version of a futon – it’s both economical and space saving. This solution allowed us to create a nice seating area where a visitor could enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning and easily create a bed when needed. It was the perfect way to offer a tranquil place to sleep when space is at a premium. Modern, mid-century inspired pieces (from Home Depot no less!), a Moroccan inspired rug and modern art in soft hues by Mineral Workshop add to the laid-back beachy-boho feel. It’s a calm, welcoming spot for a visitor to stay.

So there you have it. You can, in fact, incorporate a variety of color into your home, make it all work together an make it feel like you. I’m thrilled with how Chloe’s paint colors turned out? What do you think?? I’d love to know.

And be sure to stay tuned. We have a lot more reveals coming up.

This post is in partnership with BEHR. All thoughts are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting posts that have kept Apartment 34’s doors open.

original photographer for apartment 34 by andrea posadas creative

Recipe: Healthy Mushroom Spinach Egg Skillet

Entertaining

As my son about to turn three, it’s an obvious time to reflect on how I’m doing after three years of motherhood. Emotionally, mentally, physically. Because being a mama is the freight train that everyone can warn you is coming, but you have no idea what that means until you feel the full impact. And of course, we’re constantly bombarded with “the look how she bounced back in six weeks” narrative. Puh-lease. But there are a lot of things mothers can do to help take care of themselves which is why I’m thrilled to be partnering with Atkins to share a healthy recipe from their new lifestyle book, Atkins: Eat Right, Not Less.

I’m the first to say I did not bounce back from having a baby in six weeks. Nor six months. And if I’m honest even after nearly three years, I’m still very much a work in progress. And I was incredibly healthy and fit going into motherhood. But I do not feel like I have a fully functional, fit and ultra-healthy post-partum body – not the one I had when I became pregnant. But I’m determined to do something about it. While I’ve upped my fitness regime some, I know ultimate health comes from what you put in your body. I’ve been documenting my attempts to return to the kitchen of late. But I’m particularly excited to have a book like Atkins: Eat Right, Not Less as its packed with really delicious, and importantly for this busy, tired mom, really quick recipes that are low carb, low sugar and packed with healthy vegetables – just in time for spring.

As I flipped through the lifestyle book, a ton of recipes jumped out at me. Cauliflower Bisque, Green Goddess Salad with Shrimp & Lemon Tahini Dressing and Chipotle Lime Zucchini Crisps sound particularly good. But I stopped at the Mushroom Spinach Egg Skillet because a) I already had every single ingredient in my fridge, b) I love recipes that I would gladly eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner and c) I am a sucker for a one pot meal.

This dish delivered on its promise. It was super easy to make, packed with great flavor and totally guilt free. I would only maybe add a little sriracha for an extra kick. I know that if I focus on these nutrient-rich, low-carb recipes and put my beloved pasta on hiatus, I can get back the vibrant, healthy body I still miss. Or at least I can have a lot of delicious fun trying! Keep scrolling for the complete recipe below.

RECIPE: Mushroom Spinach Egg Skillet

Ingredients
Olive Oil spray
1lb baby spinach or spinach leaves, chopped
1lb button or cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 small garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 large eggs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Coat a large skillet with olive oil (spray if you have it) and place over high heat. Wilt the spinach in batches (I also added kale to my version to beef up the chewiness of the dish) cooking each batch 1-2 minutes and transferring to a bowl as you work. Coat the skillet with the olive oil spray again and add the mushrooms, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring often until the mushrooms and onions soften. Return the greens to the skillet and stir well. Turn the heat to low, and stir in the cream.

Using a wooden spoon, make four wells in the vegetable mixture to hold the eggs. Crack the eggs into the wells, and cover. Cook on low for 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese and cover, cooking for another minute or two until the cheese is melted and the egg whites are cooked through.

Spoon out an egg and the veggie mixture its nestled in and serve in a soup plate. Repeat with the remaining eggs and enjoy!

For our archive of healthy recipes, CLICK HERE.

For more of my experience with motherhood, CLICK HERE.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Atkins. The opinions and text are all mine. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting collaborations we’re excited about and that have kept Apt34’s doors open.

Making the Old New Again: Aka A Peek at My House

Decor

When we first bought our 150-year-old house, sure, I was intimidated about designing a space from top to bottom – let alone a historic one. I was certainly worried about picking the right floors, the perfect tile and creating the right lighting layout. Sure I wondered if the perfect shade of white actually does exist (I would claim it does and I found it – more here). But it was upon demolition when the walls were opened and the trials and tribulations of renovating a century-old structure were revealed that I fully grasped what I was in for. Today, I’m partnering with NETGEAR to share a bit of what I’ve learned about modernizing a historic home.

While an old home’s details may be charming and give you warm, fuzzy, nostalgic feels, they mask all the nasty that lurks just below the surface. Things like ancient pipes, hardly functioning nob and tube wiring and narrow insulation-less framing all hide beneath lovely plaster walls and charming antique archways. These hidden problems are just a handful of the discoveries we made upon embarking on our remodel – a few pics above for the proof (did you remember my dining room started out raspberry pink? Ironically, the same color as the original Apt34. Coincidence? I think not). Yes, I awe-struck by the 15-foot tall cedar 2x4s that have held up our home since the 19th century, but at the same time, we also discovered dry rot and termite damage, asbestos, and lead. If you’ve watched any HGTV show of late, you are familiar with the budget busters of which I speak. No wonder this house is the project that never ends.

But I was determined to take the opportunity we had to preserve the home’s historic details while building a fully functional modern space from the inside out. So that meant all new wiring and all new plumbing, all new lighting and all new floors. It also meant installing solid core CAT-6 with RJ45 connectors for standard ethernet with a gigabit transfer. Or in real people speak; we installed nice fat internet pipes directly into the house. But once the walls are all closed up, painted and pretty, you still have to get the internet throughout the entire home.

That’s where aesthetics come back into play. Throughout the design process, I worked to ensure we paid homage to my home’s amazing history by maintaining all of the crown molding, ceiling medallions and even the original hardware and glass doorknobs on our dining room’s French doors (swoon). I recently had the dining room fireplace reconstructed to replicate would have been there at the turn of the 20th century. It’s my current crowning achievement. I also love juxtaposing really modern elements against these historic details. Hence things like my new favorite shelving unit in the dining room. I can now display treasured pieces, have a place for both a mini-bar and my design book collection all while hiding some of my kid’s toys (#winning).

NETGEAR was also kind enough to supply their Orbi Whole Home WiFi System to ensure the house has modern function. The Orbi Wifi System has created such better connectivity throughout the house. The bonus? Orbi also comes with a much better design than your typical tech. Our house’s far corners (places like bathrooms – don’t lie – you know you bring your phone in there!) are no longer black holes and I haven’t had to sacrifice my design sensibility. There’s nothing I hate more than a lot of wires and cables running every which way, so I truly appreciate that Orbi Whole Home WiFi System has just one single plug-in. Did you even spy the wifi router sitting in my dining room?

If you’re planning on modernizing your home this spring you can update your look and modernize your connectivity without having to compromise on aesthetics. You’re going to really love having reliable wifi that gives whole home coverage yet is designed to look clean and simple.

dining room sources: shelving / dining table / pendant light / art / design book / design book / design book / paint color

this post is in partnership with NETGEAR. All words and opinions are 100% my own. thanks for supporting collaboration that we are excited about and that have kept apt34’s doors open. to learn more about Orbi, visit NETGEAR’s website.

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